learning : He ordains, for my good and for His glory

A few summers ago, only Leland on my hip, we travelled with Tyler as he with the Matt Papa Band helped to lead worship through music. There was a particular week where we were with him in Florida, in this house, a room to our family of three, and all of the other band members in their respective rooms. For whatever reason, we could not figure it out, Leland, who (still is) a great sleeper, would wake up at 3Am/4Am every day. Tyler, Leland, and I were getting very little sleep, because we couldn’t just let him fuss in the pack-n-play; there were the other people through the paper-thin walls sleeping that we had to think about. So we would get him up and try to keep him as content and quiet as possible until the first reasonable awake hour rolled around.

One of the mornings that week, Leland woke up for the day at 3:30AM . Tyler walked with him out to the beach, holding him and listening to the still morning, the rushing waters. Leland fell asleep with Tyler and sitting on the sand, my man got to hold his son and watch the sun rise. Wonders of wonders.

…and one of Tyler’s sweetest memories.

From coastal Florida, the plan was to drive through the night to Ridgecrest, which is near Asheville, NC. It was going to be a long all-nighter, with the guys finishing the camp week, loading up, packing up, and heading out. I had my plan with Leland – keep our day as normal as possible, hopefully he would fall asleep in the 15-passenger van that everyone was traveling in, and dose him with Benadryl if he woke up at 3AM. Super mom, I know.

Instead, after a not so great afternoon nap, the little baby boy fell asleep around 5 or 6PM and did not wake up until Tyler made me get him up so that he could fold up the pack-n-play and stick it in the trailer. That child had just slept from 5:30PM until 11PM!

Surely he wouldn’t sleep on his own now.

I stuck him in his carseat, gave him his dinner late night style, changed his diaper along the van seat, and about 45 minutes from starting down the road, he was asleep again.

Can you believe it!? but Leland slept until we pulled into a gas station somewhere close to Asheville around 6AM that morning. Leland had slept basically 12-13 hours (with no Benadryl!!).

Through this experience, the Lord taught me – Rachel, I am in control and I care for you, so I will ordain your days, your hours, your minutes in such a way that is the best for your good and for My glory.

This is a lesson I do not often forget. … or at least, He quickly reminds me again and again.

Oftentimes, more than I can count, my plan has gotten thrown out by the Providential, providing Lord. … And He is so sweet to show Himself faithful every time, to let me see at least some of the ways that He was working it all together for my good because He loves me.

Honestly, this lesson is applied almost every day; certainly each week. And I praise the Lord for proving Himself over and over, faithful, good, trustworthy, caring, and in control. He is an active and proactive God – He goes before us, He is with us, He never leaves us or forsakes us, and He follows behind us, with His grace flowing through and pouring over and saturating every little jot and tittle of our lives.